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Rural Health Information Hub

Finding Statistics and Data Related to Rural Health – Resources

Selected recent or important resources focusing on Finding Statistics and Data Related to Rural Health.

Veterans in Rural America: 2011-2015
Reports detailed demographic, social, and economic characteristics of rural veterans, based primarily on 2011–2015 American Community Survey (ACS) 5-year estimates. Includes comparisons of rural veterans to both urban veterans and rural nonveterans. Topics addressed include health insurance coverage, disability status and service-connected disability, and use of VA healthcare.
Additional links: Rural Veterans State Tables
Author(s): Kelly Ann Holder
Date: 01/2017
Sponsoring organization: U.S. Census Bureau
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State Data Accompanying MMWR Surveillance Summary 66 (No. SS-1): 1-8: Potentially Excess Deaths from the Five Leading Causes of Death in Nonmetropolitan and Metropolitan Areas, United States, 2005-2015
Interactive data visualization that provides state-level metropolitan and non-metro data on expected and potentially excess deaths from cancer, chronic lower respiratory disease, heart disease, stroke, and unintentional injury. Under the Options heading, select "Numbers of Potentially Excess Deaths by State" or "Potentially Excess and Expected Deaths by State and Locality" to access the data.
Citation: MMWR Surveillance Summaries, 66(SS-1), 1-8
Date: 01/2017
Sponsoring organization: Centers for Disease Control and Prevention
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Defining Rural at the U.S. Census Bureau
An overview of how the Census Bureau has defined rural in the past, the current way urban/rural areas are identified by the Census, and the relationship between decennial censuses, the American Community Survey (ACS), and geography.
Author(s): Michael Ratcliffe, Charlynn Burd, Kelly Holder, Alison Fields
Date: 12/2016
Sponsoring organization: U.S. Census Bureau
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Exploring Data and Metrics of Value at the Intersection of Health Care and Transportation: Proceedings of a Workshop
Summarizes a June 2016 joint workshop focused on healthcare and transportation. Includes information on cross-sector collaboration to provide transportation in rural settings. Identifies data sources for understanding health-related transportation needs.
Additional links: Read Online
Date: 2016
Sponsoring organization: Health and Medicine Division (HMD), National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine
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The Health and Well-Being of Children in Rural Areas: A Portrait of the Nation 2011–2012
Describes data from the National Survey of Children's Health demonstrating the health and well-being of children, as well as the family environment and the characteristics of the community that affect rural children and their families.
Date: 04/2015
Sponsoring organization: Maternal and Child Health Bureau
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The Value of the American Community Survey: Smart Government, Competitive Businesses, and Informed Citizens
Provides an overview of the American Community Survey (ACS) and how data from the ACS is used to inform decision-making. Discusses the importance of the ACS as a unique source of data on the demographic and economic characteristics of rural areas. Includes examples of how rural data from the ACS is used by federal agencies, academic researchers, state government, and rural communities.
Author(s): Regina Powers, David Beede, Rudy Telles, Jr.
Date: 04/2015
Sponsoring organization: U.S. Department of Commerce
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LSC Agricultural Worker Population Estimate Update
Identifies the population of agricultural workers and their dependents, and provides an estimate of the size and distribution of this population to be used as a basis for allocating resources supported by federal programs targeting farmworkers, including health and human services programs.
Date: 01/2015
Sponsoring organization: Legal Services Corporation
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The 2014 Update of the Rural-Urban Chartbook
Updates information presented in Health, United States, 2001: With Urban and Rural Health Chartbook. Highlights current trends and disparities across different levels of metro and nonmetropolitan counties, including population characteristics; health-related behaviors and risk factors; mortality rates; healthcare access and use; mental health measures; and other health measures such as teen birth rates, tooth loss, and activity limitations due to chronic disease. Individual data tables are available in an Excel file.
Author(s): Michael Meit, Alana Knudson, Tess Gilbert, et al.
Date: 10/2014
Sponsoring organization: Rural Health Reform Policy Research Center
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HCUP Fast Stats: National Emergency Department Visits
Provides access to data on emergency department utilization across a range of years and patient characteristics. To access rural data select Patient Location under Characteristic.
Sponsoring organization: Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality
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National Crime Victimization Survey Data Dashboard (N-DASH)
Data analysis tool for the National Crime Victimization Survey, a survey on criminal victimization for nonfatal crimes against people 12 or older. The Custom Graphics page allows for data analysis by crime type or by an incident characteristic which includes the victim's metropolitan statistical area (MSA) status.
Sponsoring organizations: Bureau of Justice Statistics, U.S. Department of Justice
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Last Updated: 7/25/2025